The London Borough of Lambeth has been on a remarkable journey of improvement, transforming its Children's Social Care services to deliver better outcomes for children, young people, and families.
Lambeth has embraced change with resilience, determination, and a relentless focus on relational and child-centred practice. The borough’s commitment to improvement was highlighted in a recent Ofsted focused visit, where inspectors praised Lambeth's progress and the positive impact it has had on its services.
In December 2024, Ofsted inspectors visited Lambeth Children’s Services to evaluate the progress made since the borough's full inspection in 2022. The visit focused on children in need, child protection services, disabled children, and practice within the Public Law Outline (PLO). The resulting findings, outlined in a letter published in January 2025, were a clear recognition of the borough's improvement efforts.
“Services for children in need and child protection in Lambeth have improved significantly since the last Ofsted inspection in 2022, when they were judged as requires improvement. Leaders know that there is more work to do to ensure that all children in need of help and protection receive a consistent, timely and effective service.”
Ofsted
Inspectors praised the borough’s leadership and performance management, describing the systems in place as “highly effective” in driving improvement. Lambeth’s focus on creating a culture of continuous learning and professional accountability has enabled its teams to better meet the needs of the borough's children and families, despite challenges such as budgetary pressures, the cost-of-living crisis, and housing issues.
The borough has implemented a robust practice model to unify approaches and provide clarity for social workers, managers, and partner agencies.
“Increasingly, child and family assessments are comprehensive and well written and include the child’s history. In stronger assessments, there is effective analysis of risk and harm, and staff identify the interventions necessary to meet children’s needs.”
Ofsted
Lambeth’s leadership has been central to its improvement journey, with a clear focus on the well-being of the most vulnerable children and families. Councillor Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, expressed his pride in the borough's progress:
“Lambeth children’s services provide incredibly important community support, safeguarding the future of the most vulnerable young people in our borough. So I am really pleased that we have got this positive feedback from Ofsted and am reassured that the council is on a strong improvement path following the disappointing outcomes highlighted in our last inspection two years ago.”
Ben Kind, Lambeth
While celebrating the achievements, Councillor Kind acknowledged that there is still work to be done, emphasising the council’s determination to build on its progress and deliver even greater outcomes for children and families.
Lambeth’s offer to social workers
Lambeth’s commitment to supporting its workforce is central to its transformation. The borough offers a range of benefits to social workers, creating an environment where practitioners can thrive and deliver their best work:
- Manageable caseloads
- Clear career progression pathways, supported by the Lambeth Social Care Academy.
- Comprehensive training
- Flexible working
- Generous leave entitlement
- Generous local government pension and perks
Andrew Carter, Lambeth’s Corporate Director for Children, Families & Education, spoke of Lambeth's commitment to further improvement:
“We are committed to serving Lambeth’s children and families and making Lambeth one of the best places to grow up and thrive. Our workers are on the front line making a real difference and it was good to see that the inspectors noted that our diverse workforce really reflects the local community and that is a real strength. We want Lambeth as an employer to be the first choice for talented, committed and passionate social workers and professionals.”
Andrew Carter, Lambeth
Lambeth has demonstrated significant improvement in its Children’s Social Care services and is committed to continuing its journey toward excellence. With strong leadership, a bold practice model, and a supportive environment for social workers, the borough is well-positioned to achieve even greater success.
If you are passionate about transforming lives and making a difference, explore Lambeth’s current children's social work job opportunities and become part of a team that is creating lasting change.